(Dined 09/17/2026 TH @ 6:00pm): Oui oui to this North African cuisine restaurant! In my quest to explore the various cuisine scenes and things to do throughout Jersey City (specifically the Heights) and by extension nearby Hoboken, my dear friend made dinner reservations at a place she wanted to try for a while... Barbès Restaurant. An eatery that featured French Moroccan cuisine (which I couldn't recall ever having), I was game for this. The original concept opened in Manhattan in 2003 by French owner Omar Balouma and Moroccan owner Abdellah Ksiyer, but sadly shuttered nearly 15 years later due to the building being sold. Both former Hoboken residents, they decided to open their current location in 2018, and have since expanded within Hoboken into sister restaurants La Boheme and Cafe Tati, respectively. The name came from a vibrant district in Paris at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur known as a "little North Africa," that reflected a blend of French and North African immigrant traditions, music, and food. Did we have any barb comments about this restaurant!? PURCHASE(S) Cosmo Martini Cocktail ($15.00): A wonderful classic tart elixir to get my dinner plans started - santé! C'est Frais Cocktail ($17.00): A refreshing citrusy sweet drink great on a hot day! Rock 'n Moroccan Cocktail ($17.00): Basically a Moscow Mule, it was fine. Dirty Gin Martini Cocktail ($15.00): Dirtier the better! French Martini Cocktail ($15.00): Fruity sweetness to the max! 2020 Chateau Rieussec Dessert Wine ($15.00): Lip-licking and smacking goodness! Calmars Grillés Hors d'oeuvres ($16.00): Small squid rings in a dry zesty sauce, these were enjoyably chewy and tender. Bronzini Grille w/Mashed Potatoes Entrée ($36.00): Two delicately tender grilled pieces of fish in a fragrant light lemon sauce on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes - c'est magnifique! Steak Au Poivre Entrée ($39.00): Seasoned tender meat layered with a creamy peppercorn sauce with nicely-steamed brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms - outstanding! Pastilla Au Lait Dessert ($14.00): It had potential, but the roasted phylo was hard to crack and eventually the crème fraiche made it soggy. Creme Brûlée ($14.00): Always a favorite, it was always about the crackling caramelized sugar top. Credit Card Fee 3.00% ($5.91): C'est la vie... SERVICE We made 6:30pm reservations, but I arrived early, so I headed to the bar where a young male bartender warmly greeted me and took the time to craft my first cocktail before my friend showed up. When my friend arrived, a young woman showed us to our table, and from that point on she was awesome, chatted with us, and gave us room to enjoy our evening. Our food started to arrive about ten minutes later in perfect intervals, and eventually the payment process was a breeze - excellente! PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance): This was a moot point since it was minutes away from Louise And Jerry's Tavern (or, slightly flat-to-downhill leisurely walk 40-minute distance from my friend's place). No parking lots in sight, there seemed to be plenty of spots along the main drag of Park Ave. and all surrounding side streets - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A one-floor elongated layout with exposed brick walls where some whimsical framed pictures hung, a quaint bar to the right once you entered, plenty of booths and tables inside while there was an outdoor covered patio. A decent amount of natural lighting filtered through the front glass door and various windows while large hanging electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. There were no TVs while an eclectic mix of music played in the background. ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Barbès Restaurant was génial, and I would love to return to try some of the more Moroccan dishes. Yes, this place was a tad pricey, but the food was phenomenal, the cocktails exquisite, and the service exceptional. The food menu was just right, I wished they had more beers on tap, especially from local breweries, and apparently they offered a happy hour but had no idea what it was. Plus, I always preferred to support small mom & pop businesses. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $216.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more

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Came here for a special anniversary dinner. Ryan was our server and he was the man. One of the best servers I've had in recent months. He's incredibly friendly. He shook my hand. He really took care of us. He goes above and beyond and gives great effort. We got the French onion soup to start. Super good. Lovely cheese baked over all the top of the bowl. The flavor is crazy. The broth is amazing. I loved every bite of that. Then we got the pastilla and tajine d'agneau. The pastilla is delectable. A must. It's some of the wildest flavor combinations I've ever experienced. You're eating shredded chicken mixed with cinnamon and white powdered sugar. All within phyllo dough. The tajine is fun to try, but it was just OK. It's kind of like a lamb stew. I will give kudos to a very soft and not too chewy Lamb. The prunes and apricots are such a unique flavor duo with these. Couscous is fun. This meal was a 4 for me but everything else, divine. The music was fun. They a live guitarist and sax player serenaded us. Dim lighting. Such a prime location. Lovely to walk through this neighborhood after you're stuffed. read more

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Always a good vibe and love the live music but it was a little too loud for a girls night where we wanted to actually talk haha Food was fine. Not great not bad. I shared the chicken couscous and salmon with a friend. The salmon was better. Drinks were good. Solid dirty martini (although my friends martini was like half split and they didn't offer to remake it). Server was okay. The manager is really nice. read more

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One of our favorite spots in Hoboken! The staff are so welcoming and friendly. We love the cocktails and ambience. We have been for both brunch and dinner and have never left hungry or disappointed. The bar area is so beautiful. Highly recommend the chicken schwarma dish. Or adding the chicken schwarma onto a salad - so yummy! They were also able to accomodate our toddlers picky eating habits and made him pasta with butter. read more

Barbès Restaurant - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Review is due for Barbes. We have been going to Barbes for a while now and we loved everything about it. The service, food, and the ambience, everyone made us feel so welcomed every time. Live music was definitely a plus for us. We will continue going for our date nights at Barbes. read more

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Cute little cafe off Washington street. Gives you French and Marrocan vibes. The coffee is much better than any other place around here and they have a nice outdoor space to enjoy it. The staff are friendly and accommodating. A few weeks passed I walked in and realized I was having a bad day and offered me a coffee on the house. Today I ordered the iced cappuccino( $4.5) and a pain of raisin($5.5). It wasn't as sweet and sticky as others and that is actually a good thing for my taste buds!! read more

Barbès Restaurant - Menu - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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We absolutely love the food here. The dishes taste and feel so authentic and flavors are so unique. We're not extremely familiar with Moroccan food so the waiter always helps guide our decisions. Love that you can see inside the kitchen as the chef is preparing each meal as well. Great ambiance and always a good time read more

Barbès Restaurant - Lamb - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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My husband and I came here for a date. We ordered a couple things to share - French Onion Soup, Garlic Shrimp appetizer, Shrimp Salad and Lamb Meatballs. Our favorites were the french onion soup and garlic shrimp. The flavors were sooo good. The salad was refreshing. I would personally skip the meatballs - they were kind of underwhelming. read more

Barbès Restaurant - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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One of the best in everything: atmosphere, staff, food ...perfect for groups, family, dates, ... any occasion any mood.

My group and I arrived to the restaurant for our brunch reservation. We ordered the Trio de Barbès as an appetizer and a bottle of Pinot Grigio for the whole table. The host brought out the hors d'oeuvres without saying a word or explaining which dip was which. We called over our server, who was happy to inform us. To my surprise, the eggplant dip was by far the best dip. It tasted fresh, clean, and healthy! I ordered the Oeufs Bénédicte à la Russe. Unfortunately, they had gotten my order wrong and brought out a different dish; however, once I had received my food, I was quickly impressed. The poached eggs were cooked to perfection, the hollandaise sauce was rich (I do wish it tasted less buttery), the smoked salmon tasted fresh, the mixed greens complemented the main food, and the roasted potatoes had the ever-so-slightest crunch. I sampled a bit of the merquez from my friend's dish- and I was surprised by its rich seasoning flavor profile. Overall, I was impressed with this visit. While the host was a bit unwelcoming, our server was amazing and well-informed on each of our dishes. read more

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Dined here last Sunday for a cozy little brunch and boy did it deliver! The ambiance was beautiful, and had this European feel to it. The music playing, people chattering in the background added to the appeal. For food, the two of us shared: Eggs and Merguez (5/5) This came with roasted potato wedges, side salad, four links of homemade lamb merguez (sausages) and a two-egg sunny side up. The sausages were so well seasoned, and this made it highly enjoyable. The Moroccan seasoning used dominated the flavors in the best way possible. Pastilla au Lait (5/5) Such an enjoyable dessert with so many textures and fabulous flavors. What a standout! The flaky pastry added a nice crispy textural element and I am beyond surprised how this didn't disintegrate away in that tres leche-esque milk sauce around it. Yummy! My boyfriend asked for some chocolate spread and got nutella served with it, which I have nothing to complain about. Not sure why he did that but getting nutella instead of boring chocolate sauce is such a plus! Loved brunching at Barbes! read more

Barbès Restaurant - Pastilla au Lait - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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I've always wanted to try Barbes after trying its sister restaurant in downtown Hoboken. My friend and I met for dinner on a Sunday night and the place was packed with families, dates, and groups of friends. Our waiter was patient as my friend and I took a long time to order. We started off with a lychee martini which was refreshing and sweet. We both ordered the salmon but I was able to sub the tarragon sauce with a mustard sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the sauce was tangy and complemented the other parts of the dish. Would come back here again! read more

Barbès Restaurant - Lychee martini - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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The food was delicious and the ambiance was so nice to sit by the opened doors. Luckily it wasn't unbearably hot.

Such a lively atmosphere on a Friday night (there was a live band). Service is fast and efficient. Calamari is great. Lamb shank is great. The pastilla entree is a bit too sweet. Chocolate mousse does not taste good. read more

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It had been a few years since my last visit to Barbes for anything more than drinks, so I recently decided to stop in for dinner before seeing a play at the nearby Mile Square Theatre. The place was rather quiet for a Thursday evening, which I knew was a rarity. My friend and I were seated at a cozy table and were greeted by a man who said he would be our server. We told him that we needed a few minutes with the menu. Then, only five or so minutes later, a woman came by and said that SHE would be our server. She did wind up taking over the table, but the whole interaction was just confusing. Anyway, we went along with it and placed our drink orders. I went with an old favorite, The Rock'n Moroccan, which included vodka, minted agave syrup, freshly squeezed lime, and mint leaves, all poured over crushed ice. The drink was very refreshing and reminiscent of a lighter mojito. For my dinner, I ordered the Shawarma, which was noted as being served with either greens or pita. I told the server that I wanted the greens, but she said that I would actually get both. Again, I just shrugged, decided to see what I would receive, and was pleasantly surprised when the dish did include both items. The pita was the base, and it was topped with a massive amount of pulled, slow-roasted chicken, shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes and raw white onions. The chicken was flavorful and plentiful, but very dry. There were tahini and a pepper sauce drizzled over the chicken, but it could have used more of the pepper sauce to add some moisture. When my friend and I finished our dishes, we looked urgently for our waitress to ask for the bill and remind her that we had to make a show. However, she was behind the bar at the other end of the restaurant and just chatting with a patron. We gave her a bit of time, but she did not return. We were starting to cut it close with the timing, so we sent a food runner to bring her by. She finally came back to the table, and we told her that we were in a rush and needed the check as soon as possible. Even then, it still took quite a few minutes for it to arrive. Thankfully, we made it to the play in time, but, as other reviewers mentioned, we felt like Barbes had gone downhill in terms of quality. read more

What a cute little space - vibrant and friendly. Reasonably priced wines by the glass and interesting food options too. The Escargots au Beurre were more tasty parsley and garlic than buttery, but done to perfection and good. My standout was the Grilled salmon, lemon tomato basil sauce, mashed potatoes, spinach. The spinach and sauce got raves from everyone! For dessert I had the Pastilla with a sweet milk sauce - wafer thin, crispy and good! Would return readily! read more

Barbès Restaurant - Tahini Tagine De Legumes - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

Service and food very good, not great (for the price). Amazing dessert selection. The dessert kid recommended the churros which didn't look like anything compared to other desserts but it was amazing. read more

Great spot. 1) If you want a great French-Moroccan restaurant in Hoboken, NJ, this is your spot. 2) I stuck with the usual French items like steak au poivre and pain perdu (French Toast). They were both good. 3) Will come back for their Brunch menu and try some Moroccan items. read more

Barbès Restaurant - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

5-Stars across the board. My wife and I came here for her birthday and she wanted Moroccan food so because it was a holiday and most other places were closed, I brought her here. I'm glad we came here because the food and service was top tier. We had a waitress who had other tables of course but, the other waiters worked with her as a team. If we needed something, it was well attended without having to ask any questions for assistance. We also decided to sit outside because it was a very beautiful evening and I'm glad we did. The temperature was perfect with a nice breeze here and there which allowed us to enjoy this place all the more. The food came out hot, fresh and prompt. I will definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a Moroccan food with a French addition. read more

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Everything was incredible. The fusion of French and North African cuisine was great, not many Jersey restaurants that have that. Everything we ate was stellar. read more

Lovely ambiance, the most wonderful staff, and delicious food!! Wandered over here after seeing good reviews and enjoyed the best French onion soup I've ever had. The vibes are really nice sitting outside, like a little French cafe. The staff really made it a great dining experience!! Very friendly, the owner came over and chatted with me for ten or so minutes. Would recommend to my friends and all of you to pay them a visit! read more

Barbès Restaurant - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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I love this place. Great food, great jazz, great staff. Their steak is delicious, everything really is. They make a great cocktail. It's a fun place to go with friends. Excellent! read more

Came here on Sunday for brunch around 2pm and was pleasantly surprised to see the restaurant was not jam packed. It was in fact a quiet spot that you can enjoy your conversation in a dim lit dining room with attentive service. We ordered breakfast items such as the omelete fromage, shashuka amount others. My omelet was light, airy , fluffy and delicious. The mushrooms and vegetables inside were not too soft but cooked just right to add enough textures to my dish to compliment the creamy goat cheese. Everyone at the table cleared their plates with happy and full bellies. The presentation of the dishes were pleasing and the prices were decent. read more

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I had brunch here on a Saturday a few weeks ago and was really disappointed. I've heard such great things about this spot from friends, but was underwhelmed with both the service and the food. We had a reservation and were promptly seated upon arrival. The restaurant has a cute, quaint ambiance. Feels like you're eating at a cafe in France! We placed our order for two entrees and a shared crepe. The waiter said there might be a short wait for the crepe. However, an hour passed and we never received the crepe or our entrees. No one came to check on us, ask if we needed coffee refills, or give us an update on our food. It was odd, because the restaurant wasn't terribly busy. We finally had to track down our waiter because we had somewhere to be, and he said he would tell the kitchen to start making our entrees so we'd receive them before the crepe. Thankfully we both ordered scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, so it didn't take long. However, if he had given us that option sooner we definitely would've taken it! The scrambled eggs were fine, nothing special. I thought the eggs could've used more seasoning. Thankfully the side salad and fries were pretty filling. Luckily, the crepe was delicious and filled with plenty of rich Nutella, whipped cream, and sliced strawberries. Because I've heard such good things about this spot in the past, I think I'll give it another try in the future. read more

Barbès Restaurant - Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Barbes is a neighborhood staple since I live so close I usually end up here for a quick weeknight dinner or on the weekend (though you usually will need a resy then). Great spot for French Moroccan food ! My favorite are the hummus with pita , the steak au poivre, and the shrimp couscous. The drinks are also delicious here ! read more

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This place is super special for French and northern African food! - friendly service - stylish interior - loved the escargots Best I had in the states - steak au poivre A bit disappointing. Flavor was there but the meat it self was subpar - tagine meatball Great flavor read more

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Great way to spend an evening in Hoboken, especially if you are there for the live music offered on certain evenings. Lovely ambiance inside with outdoor dining also available. Menu offers French and Moroccan food. Particularly enjoyed the Mussels Marniere with french fries (Meules and Frites). The chocolate mouse for dessert was one of the best any of us had ever had. Service was a little slow, so just go with the purpose of have a nice relaxing night out and you should enjoy yourself. read more

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Great brunch spot, especially on a nice day when you can sit outside! They have $7 cosmos all day on Sundays, which is a great deal. The French onion soup ($14) is a must-get; covered in delicious, melty cheese. For entrees, the Kefta Tagine (lamb meatballs; $25) was our favorite. The lamb was a bit dry, but it tasted great. The Oeufs Brouilles au Saumon Fume (scrambled eggs with smoked salmon; $20) was fine, but lacked flavor. It could have used some herbs or a sauce. read more

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the food was absolutely delicious. the waiting staff were so kind and helpful. really helped us on what we ordered and thank god for that cause they steered me in the right direction! the ambiance of the restaurant was high class and dim, very classy. read more

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This restaurant was fantastic! After my date and I were running late to another place, he booked us a reservation here and it was the best decision of the night. The servers were super friendly and the food was delicious. We both had Shawarma on a bed of greens, and I included it with a side of french fries. During our stay, the entire place was having a huge party. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence, but when we went there was another table celebrating a birthday and the restaurant had them doing conga lines around the room and they also had a guy on a saxophone interacting with the customers. The music was very loud that you can barely hear anybody, so that might be a flaw for some people and if you really can't stand loud noise or parties then I suggest to avoid this place. However, I'm saying as someone who normally does not get into big events that this was a fun experience. You really get into the spirit of the place and I would love to go again. My only complaint is that they missed a little spot of food on our table when we were seated (it looked liked spinach). That could land them in a heat of trouble with somebody who could file a complaint, but I decided to let it pass. Overall, wonderful location and fun environment. I don't think one leftover piece of spinach is enough to change 5 stars into a 4, but just pay close attention to the details next time! read more

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2nd time here and the food is yummy. Lots of vibe! We sat outside. Friendly and attentive staff. Snails- wow!! These will win you over to snails! Eggplant - sooo good Grilled calamari - give me seconds! Lamb tangine - this is ok Steak- delicious! Mussels- I'm not a mussels fan but everyone raves about them including my mom who ordered some to go!! read more

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Overall rating: 3.5 I want to caveat that I went on a Tuesday in April, so maybe the staff was feeling under the weather. It took awhile to order & get water refills. My friend got served a martini in a wine glass which was just weird. I personally thought it was a French-Moroccan place based off the items on the menu, so I thought the falafel-type dish would be good. It was not. I didn't eat it. I don't frequent Hoboken enough to know if this is the norm. But I have no plans on coming back here. read more

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I went to this restaurant last night for my bday. The appetizers were really good (grilled calamari and eggplant dip). We shared a bottle of wine that was listed as $42 but they charged us $58. When I asked the lady, she just said the server was supposed to tell us that the price on the menu was wrong ... which he didn't. That seems like a large price increase for them to not tell us about so I was kind of disappointed but didn't want to make a scene read more

Barbès Restaurant - Eggplant dip and grilled calamari - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

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Thanks to Resy, we had an outdoor reservation here on Saturday night for a party of 4. They originally sat us in front of the restaurant, but happily moved us to the covered parklet given it was about to rain. It ended up pouring, but thankfully the parklet kept us completely dry. The service was excellent, especially since they were running back and forth in the rain to wait on us. I recommend starting with the Salade Méditerranéenne, a trio of dips with a generous portion of pita; the eggplant zealous dip was the best! Our favorite entrees were the chicken Shawarma and Kefta Tagine lamb meatballs. The Couscous Royale and Couscous Traditionnel were not as flavorful. Portion sizes were just right, and the wine and cocktail lists were on point! read more

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Vegetarians - don't come here! Vegetarian entrees are limited to a vegetable cous cous and a stew. I got the cous cous and it was super dry and bland in spite of using all of the provided sauce / soup. Burrata salad was tasty. Service is good and enthusiastic, but they never refilled our water. read more

Barbès Restaurant - Burrata salad - pretty good! - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

The food was great. We had the mussels with french fries as well as the fattoush salad. Additional we ordered a couple of entrees which were also delicious. I believe because we came on a Friday during the first warm day of the summer, the staff kept giving us the next table's food and the wrong entrees. The manager was super nice about it and comped the food that we didn't receive, and gave us extra fries and cous cous. As a bonus, as someone who doesn't drink alcohol, I appreciated the mocktail options! read more

Barbès Restaurant - Moules Marocaine Entree and Fattoush Salad - French Near Me - Hoboken, New Jersey

The decor is so fun and enjoyable! The food was amazing, we got the mussels in red sauce and it was our favorite thing. Our main dishes were also super tasty. Unfortunately, our server forgot our fries with our mussels and didn't bring it until it came with our entrees and then he completely forgot about us. We waited about 20 min to catch his attention to get the bill. I would definitely give this place another try because the food was so good, but the service did spoil the experience a bit. read more

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Great drinks and customer service. Perfect for a low key date night. I definitely recommend. Check out my review on IG @the__fancyfoodie read more

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Nice bar with nice lighting and art. Hostess was nice and explained the Moroccan decor, menu and the Bear outside. I was not impressed with what was being offered and just had a dessert with almonds which was not of my liking. read more

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE MANAGER !!!! The manager at this place should definitely be replaced to say the least ... When I made the reservation I requested a table near the live music ... NOT ON TOP OF IT .. he gave us a table literally on top of the music basically and nearby he front door when it's 32 degrees outside and we would freeze every time someone opens the door . We than requested the table behind that and he said NO AND SAID HE WAS BUSY TONIGHT .. well he made ABSOLUTELY NOOOOOOOOOOOO EFFORT to accommodate us when we clearly stated we were returning customers. He than gives us a mediocre table that BARELY fit one person. And their dinner so I don't even have to tell you how tight it was to fit two people and their drinks , appetizers and dinners in such table . NOT to mention the fact my coat was in the floor because there was just no other place to put it once we didn't even have an extra chair . So after he heard me telling my boyfriend that I was going to update my review on Yelp than all of a sudden the table we requested was available . But I was already seated and annoyed with the LACK of customer service .. so I stayed at my miserable table that barely had enough room for one person , let alone 2 with appetizers and dinner and drinks . The food in the place is really good and unique and our waiter and bartender who were the very best were trying so hard to make up for the manager's poor and CRAPPY customer service . Even tho they were really good and the food in the place is also great , nothing can make up for the extremely poor customer service from the manager WHO MADE ABSOLUTELY NOOOOO EFFORT. To accommodate us .. .. OHHH and that table we requested was actually empty for the ENTIRE 2 hours and 45 minutes we were there .. see the table in pictures as well as my coat on the floor under the miserable table he provided us with ... that barely fit our dinner . NOT really sure if I will return with such POOR management who made absolutely NO effort to help us .... Sad.. just SAD because it was a special occasion for us ... so what a WASTE of my outfit , hair , time and my boyfriend's money .... If you are looking for a great atmosphere and positive vibe .. GO ELSEWHERE !!! read more

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